Dust from the Past
by rexyplexy
Summary: When the Crystal Gems uncover a strange new Gem at the Kindergarten, Steven and the group have to figure out what to do with her. Whether or not she's dangerous is another question.
1. Prologue

**Decided to make an author's note for this first chapter, though I don't really like making notes so there probably won't be too many of them. Anyway, I just wanted to say that this is my first multi-chapter fic in a long while and I'm pretty busy most of the time so I'm unsure of how frequently I'll be able to update it. Also, I may be the only person writing this story, but there's a total of three people coming up with ideas for it so I apologize if things end up getting too crazy. This is fic is mainly for me and my friends to have some fun collabing on something.**

 _ **Prologue**_

It was dark, though whether that was because it was now this planet's night or if it was the smoke from the fires blotting out the sun, was unclear. However, there was one single thing that was absolutely certain and that was the earth was covered with an undeniable stench; one that was almost unberable to be around. The smell of fire did little to cover it up, if not making it even worse; mixed with ash, the rusted smell was enough to turn ones stomach. The smell of the earth's upturned clay mixed with thousands upon thousands of crushed stone, minerals already condemed to become apart of the planet in which they hated.

A lone figure stood in the middle of the damaged feild, her weary eyes looking down at the millions of tiny sparkles caused by the tiny gemstone fragments reflecting the fire's light. Looking at the sight, she couldn't help biting her lip, dark brown hair flying around her with the wind. After a few moments of standing there, her bronze shoulders slumped, making her slightly musculer build look smaller than what it was. She wanted to go home. However, home was a place that she could not return to.

Not yet, at least.

She forced herself to look away from the glittering ground beneath her feet and instantly tensed as she saw a figure moving amounst the smoke. Hand going up to an embedded gem on her shoulder, she quickly withdrew it upon seeing that the approacher resembled herself a great deal, though maybe just a little bit smaller.

"There you are, I've been looking everywhere for you Beryl." The smaller of the two had said, nervously glancing around at the their surroundinds before turning back to her. "I was starting to think that you got smashed too."

"... Sorry." Was all Beryl could muster, her throat sounding as if she had inhailed quite a bit of smoke.

"It's alright, but we really should continue with our mission." The smaller said, forcing a smile onto her face. Beryl only frowned as she tried to form the words that she wanted to say, but found only one.

"Home." She whispered, her chest tightening at the thought; that was all she wanted.

"Don't worry about it, we only have to hide out in that place for a couple of homeworld weeks." The other said as she turned around, beginning to walk away without so much as making sure that the other one was following her or not. "After that, they'll send somebody to pick us up and we'll be rid of this planet forever-" Her voice was soon drowned out by the cackling flames, almost as if they were laughing at something that she didn't know about. Beryl frowned, arms hugging around herself as she sank down onto her knees, the images of all that she had seen still too clear within her mind.

"Home..."


	2. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

The first thing that she felt was an emense pain, followed shortly after by the first thing that she had ever heard; a loud bang, as if some explosion had just went off. Shortly after that she had felt herself falling, falling down to the ground, smacking hard onto its smooth stoney surface. Distant voices thumming in panic, or perhaps they were right beside her, she was unsure of this fact. Cracking her eyes open slightly she was met with utter darkness, had she been brought to this world blind? How cruel had the universe been to her... No, it's just dark in this place. Her eyes adjust after a few moments, but the voices continue, they sound fearful and a little bit confused; one sounds a little bit intrigued, but it is mostly drowned out by the others.

Soon she is met with her first sight, the ground beneath her, littered with several dull crystals each consisting of two seperate colors as if they had simply been melted together. She frowned, that wasn't right or perhaps maybe it was? She couldn't tell for sure, something about the sight brought joy to her, almost like she was feeling success, but there was another part of her that felt disgusted with the image. The two seperate emotions made her want to curl into a ball and not deal with it... Right now at least?

"Hey, are you alright?" This time the voice came from right beside her ear, taking her by surprise, she let out a shriek before she quickly turned around, her back now up against a wall.

"Steven, stay back!" Another voice, however, she barely heard it as she was now met with her second sight. In front of her there was a creature, one of which she had never seen the likes of, though some vague memory in her mind brought up how it did look something like a human. However, the sight soon ended as the creature was quickly, but carefully, pulled away to reveal that the creature was also with three Gems. That of which she was positive, after all she was a Gem too... She thinks.

"Who are you?" The tallest of the Gems asked through gritted teeth, her hands clenched up into fists. Though she didn't understand why she was directing her with such harshness, she dared to glance around at their surroundings; was this underground?

 _'Who aaaarre you?'_

Her spine went ridged and she went to open up her mouth, but only to snap it shut as she heard the unmistakable sound of something dripping. Looking down at herself, she could see in clear view the dull stone embedded on her shoulder with an odd brown liquid trickleing out of it. Just below it her arm had turned to sludge, much to her surprise.

"Come on you guys, she's hurt!" She heard the voice of the weird creature again.

"Answer my question!" More anger from the tall one.

 _'My name is... Turqouise... No, it's Maw Sit Sit... Lepidolite... Beryl... It's Beryl... Wait, is that... net... That's Garnet! Gaaaarneeeet..."_

And on and on, her head swam with that name that meant nothing to her, but somehow did. With her good hand she clutched her head, a strangled sob eminating from her pale lips; it wouldn't stop, it just _wouldn't_ stop.

"Garnet, what should we do?" The lithe one asked nervously, getting her to look up towards the Gem that stood in front of her in surprise. Garnet? That was Garnet, but how did she know that? _Because you know Garnet, silly._

With a small whimper, she couldn't bring herself to answer the other Gem's question and without so much as a word, she laid down onto her side and finally curled up into a ball.

"Could we please deal with this at home?" A new voice asked, possibly from the other Gem that had not yet spoken; the purple one. "This place is really starting to freak me out."

"Perhaps that would be best." Garnet said, her voice sounding much more calmer than previously; perhaps whatever had angered her initially was finally residing. The next thing that she felt was herself being lifted up from her safe place on the ground and while she didn't want to be moved, she didn't dare to put up a fight. It felt odd and almost dizzying, being carried as the small group walked through the cave, the world around them becoming ever so brighter. She couldn't help it as she looked up in curiousity.

The third thing that she saw was sunlight.


	3. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

"So what's your name?" Steven had asked for what must have been the hundredth time, and for the hundredth time it had gone unanswered by their prisoner, er... _guest_. All she did was sit on the floor, cradling her head and mumbling some inchoerencies; the goop from her arm, and now leg as well, didn't take long to start staining the tarp that Pearl had so graciously put down to stop the melting Gem from damaging the floors in Steven's room.

"Don't get to close to her Steven." Garnet warned from where she was leaning up against the kitchen counter, her ever watchful gaze never removing itself from the new Gem that they had found.

"Garnet what are we going to do, I've never seen a Gem like that before." Pearl was continueing to go on, the worry in her voice going on ten-fold. "Plus, that stuff leaking from her... It smells like death." Steven glanced at Pearl, despite her having lowered her voice at the last part. Curiously he sniffed at the air around the odd Gem, but all he got was the strong smell of rust.

"Plus, did ya' see what happened when she reformed?!" Amethyst asked excitedly, mimicking an explosion with her hands. " _Booooosh_!"

The strange Gem flinched but did nothing else.

"Until we know more about her, we cannot do much." Garnet said, quickly adjusting her shades. "My future vision isn't getting anything; this Gem is unpredictable." Steven looked from Garnet and back to the other Gem with a look of concern.

"Since we found her in the Kindergarden, do you think she was made there?" Steven asked, fiddling his thumbs as if he were nervous about asking. "Like, maybe Peridot, _did_ manage to activate it and we just didn't notice..."

"No, I don't think she did."

"Why don't we just bubble her and get it over with?" Amethyst asked with a frown. "We found her shortly after chasing that green freak off, so they've got to be workin' together." The temple's atmosphere seemed to become chilled as the Crystal Gems contemplated their situation, growing silent with unease. The only sound that could be heard was those coming from the Gem in question, ragged breaths coming rapidly out of her mouth followed shortly after by the sound of her other arm falling off and turning to goo. Steven bit his lip and looked down at the blackened tar-like substance.

"Does that hurt you?" He asked her, recieving no other response than the Gem's pained moan, as she continued to clutch at her head.

"Voi...ces..." Steven could have swore that the Gem had whispered under her breath, causing him to frown. He didn't know who she was, but he definitely didn't like to see something in so much pain; cautiously he stood up from the spot where he was sitting. With a glance towards the Crystal Gems, he saw that they were all still standing in a circle discussing their options, now much more quieter as if to keep Steven or the other Gem from hearing them. Steven trotted foreward and looked at the gem on their prisoner's shoulder, it seemed to be colored black, but he could see no other details due to the crack that had carved itself deep. He wondered how she had gotten hurt, maybe it had been from her reforming, since it had been a relatively violent one; rather than her just emerging in a burst of light. There had been a burst of... Something else, but he wasn't quite sure.

As he stared at the nearly shattered stone, he noticed that a dark brown oil-like substance was dripping from it. He wondered if was just some kind of Gem blood, but pushed the thought from his mind when he realized how much the idea unsettled him. Licking his hand, he no longer hesitated to gently slap it down onto the strange Gem's gem; she flinched again, but seemed to settle down considerable as her gem was engulfed with a briliant white light.

"Steven!" The young half-Gem's guardians yelled out as they summoned their weapons, readying themselves for the new Gem to attack. Steven nervously bounced on his feet as if he too was wondering if she would attack, or if he would have to summon his sheild to defend her from the others. However as they all stood there, air full of tension, the odd Gem's arms became solid once more and the leakage of the brown substance stopped as well; leaving behind a jagged black line that extended from her gem across her chest and down the other arm as if it had left a permanent stain on her. A few more seconds past and the Gem's breathing became normal, her eyes slowly cracking open to reveal iris' consisting of a whirlpool of various shades of green.

"It's so quiet now..." She said, finally looking up at the other Gems with a look of confusion. "Wait, where am I? Who are you?"

 _'The Crystal Gems...'_ The Gem winced and rubbed her head again until the strange sensation that she had felt was gone.

"Hi, I'm Steven and this is Garnet, Amethyst and Pearl!" Steven was quick to say with a smile when he saw that the other Gem wasn't being violent like the few other Gems that they've met had. "What's your name?"

Steven's question fell on deaf ears as his strange companion stared down the Crystal Gems, her eyes narrowed as she tried to pin-point this sense of familiarity that she was feeling. However, as Garnet approached her and knelt down, the emotion quickly vanished and was replaced by one of fear. The other Gem let out a small whimper as the feeling hit her in the gut like a knife and it was all she could do as she hid behind her long curly red hair like a curtain.

"We will not hurt you as long as you don't give us a reason to." The taller Gem had said. "Though, we would also like for you to answer our questions."

A small nod.

"Are you working with Peridot?"

"Hm..." The Gem mumbled, nervously looking at Steven who gave her a smile of encouragement. It only took a few more seconds for the Gem to find her voice once more. "I don't know who that is..."

"Where did you come from? Homeworld?"

 _'Of course, most Gems come from Homworld, we all did...'_ The Gem bit her lip as she looked up at her reflection within Garnet's visor. The image she saw there didn't feel like it was herself that she was looking at and yet, she couldn't picture being anybody other than herself. The whole thing made her Gem ache, so she forced herself to look away.

"I think I'm from there, but... I don't remember it." She said, noting how freaked out the other two Gems seemed to look as they gazed upon her.

"What is your name?"

Again the Gem was at a loss of words, for while she could recall the onslew of names she had head in her head hours earlier, none of the names felt right to her. There was a possibility that one of them _could_ have been her name, but she highly doubted it. With a frown she decided to simply answer honestly since she felt as if the Gem infront of her was growing iritated

"I don't know, I don't think I have one." She responded, daring herself to glance back up at her reflection.

"How is that even possible, only cracked Gems sometimes get amnesia and her Gem is completely fine now." Pearl said, loud enough for the others to hear, but only ended up being unanswered. Garnet grunted as she continued to silently stare down at the other Gem, causing her to grow more nervous as she worried that she had answered one of the questions wrong. Without another word to the other Gem, Garnet stood up and turned towards her team.

"I have a vague idea on what might be going on, but I'm not entirely sure." Garnet admitted, adjusting her glasses as if trying to look into the future once more. "I'm going to go back to the Kindergarden to look further into the matter. Keep an eye on her and don't let her out of your sights."

Pearl and Amethyst nodded as their leader turned towards Steven, lovingly patting the boy on his head.

"That goes for you too; don't get careless though." She said before finally taking her leave towards the warp-pad.

"Don't worry about it Garnet, I'll watch her!" Steven called after her with a happy wave, before he turned back to the weird Gem and took a seat in front of her. Taking his job of guard very seriously.

"Garnet's been actin' kinda weird since we got back from there." Amethyst said with a frown as she looked over at Steven, only sparing a glance at their prisoner. "What the heck happened down there?"

A sudden shudder ran down the young boy's spine as if he had just been plagued by an image that he would much rather forget.


	4. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

An hour had passed by as the group waited for Garnet to return and as it became apparent that the Gem wasn't going to attack, things became relatively more relaxed. Steven was leaning back on his arms, having a one-sided conversation with the Gem while Amethyst and Pearl remained in the kitchen. Amethyst rummaging through the fridge for a snack and Pearl never having removed her ever watchful gaze from the intruder.

"So you can't remember you're name?" Steven had asked, only recieving a small head-shake from the other Gem. "Hm, maybe we can try and guess what it is..."

The Gem's nose crinkled up at that idea.

"Yea, you're right, that would probably take way too long." Steven sighed as he decided to glance over at the Gem's gem to see if you could guess by the looks of it. Now that the gem was no longer cracked, while still the color black, it was no longer dull and had the most sparkly shine that he had ever seen on something; it almost looked as if there was a whole tiny galaxy on the inside of her gem.

"You're gem is pretty." Steven said as he tried to maintain conversation, getting a frown from the other as she looked down at her shoulder with disdain. She couldn't understand why the mear sight of the rock brought disgust to her, after all, that gem was her wasn't it? She frowned as she looked back to the young boy, her gaze looking curious, her distain for her gem forgotten for the moment.

"Are you a gem?" She asked, voice hoarse from not talking much, which seemed to cause the other two Gems to flinch and look over at her worriedly. "You don't feel like one."

"Oh, well I'm half human." He said, taken by surprise at first, but then getting stars in his eyes with excitement. Carefully Steven lifted up his shirt to show the pink gem settled there, getting a surprised growl from the other Gem as her eyes went wide with a mixture of horror and wonder; a hiss forming within her lips. This seemed to be enough to cause Pearl to spring into action, summoning her spear as she gracefully leaped over the kitchen counter, aiming her weapon right at the other Gem.

"Stay back, Steven!" Pearl said as Amethyst ran over, hand hovering over her chest as if preparing for the chance that she might need to summon her own weapon. "She could be dangerous."

"No, no, I just surprised her!" Steven was trying to say, but it was no use as their prisoner got a look of Pearl's weapon, her eyes wide. Images of shattered gems clouding her mind as a tidal-wave of fear crashed down around her; as if on some instinct long forgotten, the Gem's hand quickly reached for her gem. With a quick flash of black, the Gem held a sleek black sword tightly within her grasp and before Pearl could react, she swung it. However, at the last second, the Gem twisted and instead of using the blade she shoved the hilt into the pastelle Gem's abdomin. As Pearl went flying back, Amethyst's whip quickly wrapped around their foe causing her sword to drop to the floor with a clatter before it vanished into a puff of black smoke. The Gem let out a terrified screech as she struggled to free herself, but was unsuccsessful; meanwhile, Steven was worriedly looking back and forth from the two and towards Pearl.

The sound of the warp pad was the thing that brought everyone's attention away from their current conflict and towards Garnet as she finally returned. If the others would have been able to see her eye's, they would have seen that they looked to be shocked. Though it didn't take long for the fusion to assess the situation and realize what was going on; with a grumble Garnet stalked foreward while brandishing her gauntlets. This caused the bizarre Gem to let out a small whimper, shrinking back; the gauntlets vanished as soon as the taller Gem reached the small group. Garnet adjusted her shades as she sought out various possibilities with her future vision.

"Please don't hurt her Garnet!" Steven had been saying. "It's really all just a big missunderstanding..." The fusion took in his words and gave a brief nod before turning back towards the other Gem, crouching down slightly to be able to look her in the eyes.

"This true?" Garnet had asked, instantly recieveing a shakey nod from their prisoner, which only caused the fusion to grumble as if she were mulling something over. Letting out a sigh, Garnet carefully removed her sunglasses, the other Gem not even flinching at the sight of the fusion's three eyes. "I admit, I'm unsure what to do with you. At the moment you don't seem entirely violent unless it's for self defense, though if you ever become agressive I'll have no choice but to crush your gem." The Gem gave a nervous nod.

"Personally." Garnet added as she slipped her shades back on, it had been an encredibly long and tiring day. Pearl's eyes widened and she bounded over to Garnet's side.

"You found something, didn't you?" She asked glancing over at their prisoner for a brief moment before looking back to their leader. Garnet nodded.

"She's one of those experiments."


End file.
